There are just a few days to go before eight plaques commemorating inspirational people connected with Derby are unveiled.

The plaques have been embedded in the pedestrian area between the Albion Street entrance to Intu Derby and Albert Street.

Inspiration is the major theme behind the unique Made in Derby plaques - to be revealed in a glittering ceremony on Saturday.

Tim Clapcott is the man behind the design and installation of the cast-iron and mosaic plaques. He says that he hopes they will “inspire Derby people to take a pride in where they live” and “inspire younger people who will see the people on the plaques as role models in their lives”.

He added: “I want to make today’s citizens realise that Derby is a great place to live and work. I have strong associations with Derby and my family lives in the Derbyshire area.”

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“I am deeply inspired by and committed to understanding how cities function and how people relate to their own places, but also enjoy engaging people in unique ways, young and old using both traditional skills and new technology.”

Mr Clapcott's plaque design shows a link with Derby past and present through the illustrations of famous landmarks and the person's name they contain. The public will also be able to interact with the plaques through a smartphone app.

A student of late sculptors Elisabeth Frink and Eduardo Paolozzi while studying at the Royal College of Art in London, Mr Clapcott later worked for Eduardo, at his studio in Chelsea, helping to produce public sculptures and prints.

He now has his own company, called Civic Spaces, with which he focuses on projects that contribute to a well-designed urban environment.

In Derby he has already worked to produce the Heads on Friar Gate with their interactive video of Roger Lloyd-Pack as an 1830s Derby convict. He also designed the heads at Speakers Corner in Derby’s Market Place.

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Mr Clapcott has spent the past nine months conceiving the Made in Derby project, designing the various features and executing it so now all that remains is to uncover the 1.2 square metre plaques, currently under wraps in the two Derby streets.

Having first worked with cast-iron 20 years ago, and mosaics extensively almost 30 years ago, Mr Clapcott is no stranger to both mediums.

Work taking place in Albion Street to set the plaques in the ground

The cast-iron work has been done Manor Foundry in Ilkeston and Mr Clapcott has created the mosaics tiles, with the help of a north Derbyshire artist.

He said: “The contractors do the hard work prepping the ground to receive the plaques and then it is down to me to get on my knees and start to install the mosaic shapes using special adhesive.

“The amount of risk assessments and responsibility accompanying the installation of the plaques is amazing.

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“Aside of making sure the plaques are tough enough to withstand people walking on them and vehicles driving over them, the whole installation process has to be carefully managed to ensure there are no trip hazards for the public.

“And on top of that, we have been having to keep the names of the people who will appear on the plaques top secret.”

The cast-iron frame will house a mosaic star featuring the name of the well-known person (Image: Arnold Pollock)

Mr Clapcott had to take out an £800 insurance policy to cover his personal and professional liability for the project.

The mosaic also features the QR code needed to create the interactive experience, called an augmented reality app, for people with smartphones who visit the plaques, and which also makes the creation of Made in Derby a unique piece of art.

Mr Clapcott added: “We can utilise smartphone video to publicise the achievements of our city. With the help of new local firms, and the free city wifi, we can create news stories about our successes and animated biographical features.

He said: “When I look at the places featured on the plaques, I feel a great affinity with Derby people, its heritage and how it is evolving as a modern city.

“The Made in Derby title not only refers to the successful people of Derby, but it is also a metaphor for the city’s industrial heritage and thriving commerce and community today.

“We are celebrating famous people who have created a national or international reputation, great historical figures, Derby as the birthplace of the industrial revolution and Derby now as a business, manufacturing and world class engineering centre.”

Famous Derby sights are featured on the plaques - this is the Guildhall and Market Hall building (Image: Arnold Pollock)

The project has come together so well that Mr Clapcott has completed the installation of the plaques ahead of schedule and only has final testing of the augmented reality app to complete later this week, ahead of the official unveiling on Saturday, between 11am and 12.30pm.

The idea for Made in Derby originally came from discussions between the Derby Telegraph, Derby City Council and local business leaders. The £70,000 cost is being part-funded through a grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership, D2N2.

Derby Telegraph editor Steve Hall said the idea stemmed from the success of local sportsmen and women in last year’s Olympic Games, including Adam Peaty.

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Mr Hall said: “We thought that more needed to be done to recognise the achievements of people who were from Derby or had strong associations with our city.”

More than 300 different people were nominated for a place on the Made in Derby walk of fame by Derby Telegraph readers last November and a steering committee, including Steve Hall, editor from the Derby Telegraph; John Whitby, Mayor of Derby; john Forkin, managing director Marketing Derby, Helen Wathall, chair of St Peter’s Quarter Business Improvement District, Tony Butler, executive director of Derby Museums Trust and Adam Buss, chief executive of Quad, decided who would be on the plaques.

Tomorrow we take a look at the how the unveiling of the plaques will be celebrated with timetable

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